World Vision calls for restored Africa aid funding

TODAY is World Refugee Day and World Vision is calling on the Australian Government to restore aid funding to Africa.

World Vision chief executive Tim Costello said the United Nations had warned there would be large-scale food shortages across southern Africa by next month and that almost 50 million people would need food aid by Christmas.

Mr Costello said Africa was confronting its worst food crisis since 1985, with almost 2.7 million children already suffering acute malnutrition.

He also said Kenya had announced it would close the world's largest refugee camp, Dadaab, leaving 300,000 people with an uncertain future.

Mr Costello said Australia had turned its back on some of the poorest people on Earth when it cut its aid budget to Africa by 70%.

"Africa is now asking for help to avert a humanitarian crisis and we must do what we can," he said.